Do you want to see a snowman? Go to Kainos for the Dry Hollow Elementary exhibit
By Tom Peterson
“I like the square snowman,” said Courtney Lehman of Kainos Coffee in Downtown The Dalles. “Is that Cubism?”
You bet it is, Courtney.
And there is Impressionism, Pointillism, even a splash of Jackson Pollock.
It’s all part of a contest held at Dry Hollow Elementary this month where students were encouraged to submit paintings of snowmen based on different artistic movements.
It was the brainchild of Kristal Corey and Erica Salvagno-Lente, library media assistants at the school.
They recorded an educational piece on the book, If Picasso Painted a Snowman, by Amy and Greg Newbold. And asked students for the submissions. Teachers also encouraged them to get involved and after drawings were returned to school, each class received one vote for their favorite.
But the true piece de resistance is a public showing now going on at Kainos Coffee at 418 E. Second St. Every drawing now covers the front window of the business. They will be there through Jan. 29th.
It’s a kind of a who’s who in the K-5 art world.
Corey and Salvagno-Lente put them up this morning.
“We shared examples of fine art and read the book,” Corey said of the instructional video they made for students. “We told them you can do any of these styles or you can do your own. You’re an artist too.”
“Mine is a snowman Pez dispenser taped to a piece of paper,” Salvagno-Lente laughed.
“We call that Realism,” Corey shot back.
Kainos’ Drew Bernier said they were excited for the colorful art that now engages pedestrians and coffee aficionados.
“Hopefully parents will come down here and check it out too,” he said.
The weather gods might be onto it as well.
“We actually like snow,” Corey said. “We do snow dances on request.”
“Put your PJs on backward and say, ‘snow day’ three times,” added Salvagno-Lente.
That might just work. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for snow next week and the second week of February.
Contest Winners are:
K- Lana Greear, 1st; Halle Dodson, 2nd
1 - Emma Roderick, 1st; Paylzee Hanks tied with Gwen McNeal, 2nd
2- Mateo Carosella, 1st; Zayne Orozco, 2nd
3- Emmanuel Giles, Eddie Guzman, Makayla Handley 3 way tie for 1st; Temperance Prince 2nd
4- Kendyl Sallee, 1st; Rozlyn Elliott, 2nd
5- Uma Carosella, 1st; Rivers Kohltfarber, 2nd